Nicotine boosts a busy body's metabolism.Nicotine boosts a busy body's metabolism Why do smokers tend to weigh less than nonsmokers and gain weight when they give up the habit? Contrary to "common knowledge," nonsmokers do not generally eat more than smokers, nor do they exercise less, studies find. Research performed on smokers at rest indicates that nicotine itself can increase basal metabolic rates basal metabolic rate n. Abbr. BMR The rate at which energy is used by an organism at complete rest, measured in humans by the heat given off per unit time, and expressed as the calories released per kilogram of body weight or per square , meaning smokers burn more calories than nonsmokers during periods of inactivity. But surveys suggest most smokers smoke not while completely at rest, but while performing light activities such as desk work that can increase metabolic rates Noun 1. metabolic rate - rate of metabolism; the amount of energy expended in a give period basal metabolic rate, BMR - the rate at which heat is produced by an individual in a resting state by two or three times. Unless nicotine's metabolic effects increase proportionally with metabolic rates, its influence on weight might be insignificant. Now a study in the April 6 NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE The New England Journal of Medicine (New Engl J Med or NEJM) is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is one of the most popular and widely-read peer-reviewed general medical journals in the world. shows that nicotine's effect on body-fuel consumption do indeed increase proportionally with increases in activity. "These results indicate that the metabolic effect of nicotine may play a greater part in accounting for body-weight differences between smokers and nonsmokers than was previously believed," say Kenneth A. Perkins and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Pittsburgh, located in Pittsburgh, PA. As of 2007, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine consists of 589 medical students - 53% men and 47% women. . The researchers administered a nicotine nasal spray nicotine nasal spray Nicotrol NS Pharmacologic class: Cholinergic Therapeutic class: Smoking deterrent Pregnancy risk category C (gum), D (inhalation, nasal, transdermal) to individuals performing light work -- in this case pedaling an exercise bicycle modified to allow easy pedaling while subjects remain seated in a comfortable armchair. The activity raised resting metabolic rates two to three times.By analyzing air exhaled, the researchers calculated energy expenditures in the armchair bicylists before and after administering the nasal spray Nasal sprays are used for the nasal delivery of a drug or drugs, generally to alleviate cold or allergy symptoms such as nasal congestion. Although delivery methods vary, most nasal sprays function by instilling a fine mist into the nostril by action of a hand-operated pump and compared the relative changes with those in controls given placebo nasal sprays. Relative to their baseline bicycle expenditures, individuals in the nicotine group expended ex·pend tr.v. ex·pend·ed, ex·pend·ing, ex·pends 1. To lay out; spend: expending tax revenues on government operations. See Synonyms at spend. 2. considerably more energy than did controls while doing the same amount of work. With nicotine, Perkins says, "it's as if the body is becoming much less efficient in using its stored calories." While the results may seem discouraging to smokers who'd like to quit without gaining weight, Perkins notes that "walking an extra mile a day should make up for the difference" in metabolic efficiency. And he says smokers would have to gain "well more than 50 pounds" to counter-balance the health risks of continued smoking. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion